1:24 Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb

The year 1941 and the shift from defense to offensive sweeps

Once the raids on British cities had died away, fighter aviation turned outward and began to mount its own sorties over the occupied continent. It was thankless and costly work, because over foreign territory a damaged machine cost a crew even when the pilot saved himself. Both of the aircraft whose markings the set offers fall into exactly this period.

Two Polish squadrons on one sheet

The first aircraft served with the squadron that came into being as the very first Polish fighter unit on British soil, the second with a unit formed somewhat later the same year. Both carried the combination of Ocean Grey and Dark Green on the upper surfaces supplemented by Medium Sea Grey underneath, that is the scheme that replaced the earlier brown and green combination in 1941. For the second of the machines the source also records the name of the pilot, a sergeant.

What that means for the builder

Both options come from the same type and the same period, so the model can be built up and the decision on markings put off until the end. The gray and blue combination of shades is rewarding in the process: it does not waste contrast, but it shows every irregularity of the surface, so it rewards careful sanding and a thin coat of paint. At 1:24 the ratio between the gray upper surface and the lighter side, which usually merges on smaller models, also stands out well. The sheet is prepared for kits of matching size.

A note on the historical context

By that time the Polish squadrons held a firm position within British aviation and their pilots were among the most experienced; 1941 meant a change of type as well as a change in the style of combat work for them.